Gone with the Wids sure to hit a spike
Widnes RUFC’s first game (v St Edwards), and there will be a celebration buffet on Sunday September 8 which was the date of the official clubhouse opening 60 years ago when the first XV played the then-mighty Liverpool.
This time the Colts will be the main attraction as they take on Bowdon in a specially-arranged fixture. A littleknown link is that, in 1877, Widnes were Bowdon RUFC’s first ever opponents.
Ticket holders at each event will be entitled to a DVD.
In the mean-time, the documentary can be seen via the Club’s Facebook site or on YouTube (type “Widnes RUFC - Gone with the Wids”).
On the rugby field, one of the final pieces of the jigsaw has been put in place, with the confirmation of dates for their early season friendly and cup fixtures.
The triple-winning Wids begin the action on Saturday, August 17 when they make the short trip to Red Rocks to take on West Park in the Annual Antony Morris/John Ratcliffe Memorial Trophy.
This will be followed by a home game on Saturday, August 31 against level six side Burnage in the first round of the Lancashire Cup.
Meanwhile, Widnes face a tough challenge if they have ambitions to hold onto the Premier Division Cup – a competition they won last season as part of their historic treble winning campaign.
They have been drawn in the toughest group possible alongside West Park and Oldham in Group A of the competition.
Both these teams pushed the redand-blacks all the way last season, and all three sides can expect to see plenty of each other during 2019/20.
They begin with a home game against West Park on October 19, before travelling to Oldham for their final game on January 18.
The winner of the group will then progress into the semi-finals where they will be joined by the winners of the other three groups.
Meanwhile, with the league fixtures now in place, the cup draws for both the Second and Third teams - who play in the Halbro North West Leagues – are still to be made, but are expected ● to be announced shortly.
With pre-season training now fully underway, the Club are still on the lookout to attract new players. So, if you are new to the area and looking for a game or fancy dusting down those boots once again, then a warm welcome awaits. Training is every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 6.45pm.